1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of computer software development. It finds particular application in tracking and analyzing identified software defects in large commercial, business, and military software development projects, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, the invention also finds application in analysis of smaller scale software development projects, in analysis of defects in other types of computer system developments such as, for example, an installation of a complex distributed database system for a nationwide or global business concern.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern computer software development projects are highly complex undertakings that involve teams of software developers each working on selected software components or modules destined to be combined to form the final software product. Quality control groups test modules, interactions between modules, interactions between modules and the supporting operating system, and so forth using hardware testbeds to identify software defects during the development. Project engineers coordinate the workflow, forecast project timelines, and otherwise manage project activities.
Software defects inevitably are introduced during development of large, complex software products. Resolution of defects in complex software development projects is a difficult task due, among other reasons, to a high degree of interrelatedness of various software components. Resolution of one identified defect can give rise to other defects. Such defect interaction is reduced but not eliminated through the use of modular programming concepts.
Quality control groups test software modules to identify and characterize software defects. When a defect is identified, information pertaining to the defect is recorded in a database, and the associated software module or modules are tested to identify characteristics of the defect such as the scope of affected software components, the software versions or releases which exhibit the defect, operating conditions under which the defect manifests, severity of the defect, and so forth. The identified defect information is forwarded to a software development team which is assigned the task of remedying the defect.
In a complex software project, defects are discovered and subsequently resolved on a continuing basis, and it is useful to maintain accurate, up-to-date records and statistics pertaining to the discovered software defects. For example, a decrease in a rate of newly discovered defects in a component over time is typically indicative of increasing robustness and reliability of that component, and is thus an indicator that good progress is being made. Conversely, an increasing rate of newly discovered defects, or a large time interval between discovery and resolution of severe defects, can be indicative of substantial problems with the associated software component or components.
In the past, data pertaining to software defects has been stored and tracked using dedicated source control or defect tracking systems that are optimized to provide an efficient defect remediation workflow. In these systems, each defect is typically classified based on its severity, assigned a resolution priority based on its impact on software performance, and assigned to a software developer or development team for resolution. A defect status is stored in a relational database or other storage entity, and is monitored and tracked until the defect is remedied. After remediation is complete, the defect information is preferably retained for statistical defect analyses or other purposes.
Existing defect tracking systems are suitable for managing remediation of specific defects, but provide limited information relevant to workflow coordination and forecasting for the software development project as a whole. Information for high-level management tasks come in various data formats and from various sources. Project engineers study incoming defect rates, risk factors associated with defects, defect resolution rates, and the like in order to generate development timeline projections, to allocate development resources, to identify problematic software components, and so forth.
Existing defect tracking systems that are targeted toward efficient defect remediation workflow typically do not provide information on defects in a form that is readily applied to these high level project engineering tasks. Moreover, information contained in these defect tracking systems is not readily integrated with other types of information related to project development. Project engineers would benefit from a system, apparatus, method, or article of manufacture for integrating information on software defects with other types of information, and for arranging such integrated data compilations in a format that is supportive of high level project development tasks. Preferably, such a system, apparatus, method, or article of manufacture would be compatible with existing data analysis tools that are familiar to typical software project engineers, such as commercial spreadsheet programs that provide tabular and graphical representations of data compilations.
The present invention contemplates an improved method and apparatus which overcomes these limitations and others.